Bonjour Montmartre

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There are seven hills in Paris, the tallest being Montmartre. The town is known for its nightlife [Moulin Rouge] and for its rich artistic history. Picasso, Dali,  Modigliani, Monet & van Gogh all kept studios nearby. Montmarte is one of my favorite places in Paris. Its away enough from the city but still busy enough to keep me engaged.

What the Tim Hotel lacks in chic it more than makes up in charm. If the Ritz is your style, then don't stay here, but if you prefer to immerse yourself in the Parisian culture, the Tim Hotel is nestled in a beautiful old neighborhood and is a quick 60 second walk up the hill to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, souvenir shops, restaurants and night life.

This cafe is quiet right now but come 5pm and there is an available seat. It gets filled with a young, hip, pretty crowd, daily. The cafe is located directly across from the Tim Hotel.

Imagine buying your fruit and produce here. I wish you could smell the aroma of sweet freshness. A feast for the senses.

There's a square at the top of the hill that is filled with street artists eager to make your portrait or sell you a painting. [Some of them accept credit cards!]

At night, Montmartre takes on a whole new energy. Its spectacular, romantic and bustling with movement.

An all to fabulous fashion shoot... I was sitting across the way and glance over to see this. So French.

And finally, I ended my days in Paris with a

vin rouge

every night at this cafe. I never wanted to leave.

Au revoir

Montmartre.

fashionado

South Beach at Night

The sweet scent of coconut tanning oil combined with the aromas of grilled cuisine and cigar smoke travelled through the salty ocean breeze in Miami. Live music played at many outdoor venues and salsa everywhere else. Even 25 years ago when SoBe was undergoing its retransformation, there was a magical element about the area. From the architecture to it's colorful residents, SoBe's energy filters through every visitor. Of course, the mojitos help too!

As I walked around Lincoln Road, Ocean Drive, Collins and Washington Avenues, I tried to capture the energy, bright lights and deco aesthetic which can only be found in South Beach at night:

More than 25 years ago, I sat with a friend, on the Carlyle's patio over beers. A bright light in the sky caught our attention. It looked like the brightest shooting star I'd ever seen. Or maybe it was a meteor? The next day, we learned it wasn't a shooting star or a meteor, but a Russian satellite that fell to earth!

An icon of South Beach, the former Versace Mansion. It now operates as a boutique hotel known as The Villa by Barton G.

The holidays have already gotten a hold of South Beach's Lincoln Road Mall.

Holy Hooters Batman!! Even the mannequins have implants in South Beach.

A larger than life Menorah & Dradle made completely of sea shells, Lincoln Road Mall.

 Apple, Gap, JCrew, Victoria's Secret, Banana Republic and Starbucks have commercialized South Beach.

fashionado

TRAVEL: U. S. Grant Hotel, San Diego

Being fashionably late can be one way to get you noticed at a party, but it can also be a vulgar expression of rudeness. One can usually get away with being fifteen minutes late to a cocktail gathering, but a tardy arrival for a dinner party might mean your host's

hors d'oeuvres

will be served cold with flat champagne. Shame on you!

When it comes to air travel, "late" can mean "not traveling", as

your

fashionado Traveler

recently discovered. My recent trip to Delta's first class ticket counter produced sad news: my reservation had been for the day before! Time to make lemonade: a quick call to Starwood's Platinum Concierge and I was booked for the night at the stellar

U. S. Grant

hotel in downtown San Diego. And what delicious lemonade it was...read on:

THE SPOT

Built by the son of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, The U.S. Grant hotel has been an icon of grandeur in downtown San Diego since its opening in 1910. In 2003, the hotel was purchased by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, who closed the doors for twenty-one months to renovate the building at a cost of over $80 million. It reopened in November of 2006 and is truly a sight to behold! Read the entire history of the hotel

here

.

The U. S. Grant - a Starwood Hotels

Luxury Collection

hotel, boasts 247 luxurious rooms and 47 opulent suites, along with the legendary Grant Grill and Lounge and 33,000 square feet of elegant and historic event spaces and ballrooms.

THE HOT

Arriving via taxi in the hotel's interior motor court, I was greeted by a bellman who whisked my luggage away and escorted me to the front desk. As I had arrived around noon, my accommodation was not quite ready providing me with a perfect opportunity to explore the hotel! I was met by Russ Mitchell, the hotel's Director of Sales and Marketing, who provided me with an hour-long tour of the property and regaled me with the hotel's history and his encyclopedic knowledge of little-known facts about the property. We even visited one of the two two-story Presidential Suites, where I marveled at the beauty and elegance of what had been the itinerant home for monarchs, statesmen and captains of business from around the world.

After my tour I visited the bar in the Grant Grill for a refreshing dirty martini and met—by chance—

Dr. Kenneth Blum

, the noted and internationally recognized authority and researcher on neuropsychopharmacology and genetics, a friendly and unassuming man who—I've since learned—is credited as the co-discoverer of the alcoholism gene! A fascinating man who had simply stopped in to grab a quick snack.

Not long later the front desk called to inform me that my room was ready. I had been upgraded to a Landmark Suite, a delicious one-bedoom, 1-1/2 bath refuge with high ceilings, luxe furnishings and beautiful baths. My luggage arrived moments later and I took a few minutes to freshen up for the evening.

After exploring the historic lower level of the hotel, which has been lovingly restored to its early 20th century grandeur, I returned to the Grant Grill and was greeted by

Tom Scaramellino

, the Grant's Operations Manager who, like everyone else I encountered during my stay, welcomed me heartily and assured me that he and his entire staff were available to see to whatever needs I might have.

I ventured out into the neighborhood, where I strolled across the street and into Horton Plaza, a lovely outdoor mall, and then a few short blocks away into San Diego's famous Gaslamp Quarter, where I meandered past an endless array of restaurants, bars and unique shops. Returning to the Grant I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the huge crystal chandeliers in the Grand Lobby, rising above a massive Persian rug and comfortably furnished into a myriad of areas where one could relax, meet or simply reflect upon their surroundings and the day ahead.

Calling it a night early, my 7 a.m. flight looming before me, I slept in my oh-so-comfortable bed and awoke to the first hints of the rising sun as I indulged in a quick cup of coffee from the in-room gourmet coffee apparatus. It was a sad departure; I felt as if I never wanted to leave!

THE NOT

In a previous review - the St. Regis Atlanta - I was able to find a single tiny detail that was overlooked, a rarity indeed.

At the U. S. Grant I'm completely at a loss to complain about a single thing. A truly spectacular hotel. A gorgeous, comfortable room. Awesome staff. The food and beverage venues and service exceeded my expectations. There was no dust in my room, nor a single spot on a mirror or piece of glass. Even the bath amenities were perfectly aligned on the countertop!

Bravo!

FOR THOUGHT

U. S. Grant, hotel, San Diego. Four Stars. Rooms from $239 midweek, $199 weekend. Discounts and packages available. See the Luxury Collection

website

for more information.

Tips and trivia: Visit the perimeter walls of the space beyond the elevators for an interesting look at the hotel's history and that of its Native American owners. Look for the medallion in the middle of the floor between the two banks of elevators in the Grand Lobby; beneath it lies the hotel's time capsule, containing relics from the hotel's early years and the time of the recent renovation.

*fashionado Traveler Score: 9.8 (out of 10). Nothing gets a ten.

The fashionado Traveler

has traveled extensively throughout the world, including 47 U.S. States and four continents. He holds elite status with multiple hotel chains and is quickly approaching the two million mile mark on Delta Air Lines. He lives in the Atlanta area and hails originally from California, where he spent his younger and admittedly less stylish years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He invites your comments and encourages invitations to your favorite away-from-home places.  

fashionado

The Heavenly St. Regis Atlanta

The fashionado Traveler

Being fashionable when traveling involves more than simply making the right selections from your valise de fabuleux. How you get there and where you stay can make the difference between style and vile.

In my periodic writings, I'll share with you some of my own away-from-home experiences, be they fashionable or otherwise, which determination I shall leave to you, my dear reader.

THE SPOT

The St. Regis Hotel and Residences is nestled just off Peachtree Road in the Buckhead enclave, a mile or so down Paces Ferry Road from where Sonny Purdue, Georgia's Governor, calls home. A short pedestrian mall leads from  the hotel to where the Streets of Buckhead — Atlanta's answer to Rodeo Drive — will burst forth onto the scene in 2011.

The St. Regis boasts 120 rooms and 31 suites, and is also home to fifty private residences on the top fifteen floors of the hotel.

THE HOT

Arriving at the St. Regis in mid-afternoon, we were greeted and quickly dispatched by the hotel valet, who offered bell service for our two small overnight bags, which we politely declined. The check-in process was quick and effortless and we were escorted to our room by the desk clerk himself — a very nice touch! Even nicer was the handwritten welcome card from the hotel's general manager along with a bottle of Merlot on a silver wine plate and three large chocolate bars packed in lovely gift wrapping.

We had been double-upgraded from a Superior room to a Grand Deluxe room, which included a huge outdoor balcony furnished with lovely cushioned metal furniture. The room itself was truly a feast for the eyes, decorated in what I call the "Contemporary Deco" style: furniture and walls in soft tones, custom polished-nickel lamps and chandeliers and huge gloss white mouldings; I think I heard Barbara Barry whispering in my ear!

On the nightstand is what looks to be — at first glance — a telephone. Further investigation reveals that it's actually a control center for nearly everything in the room: temperature, lighting, hotel directory...even the weather! And no, darling, you can't control the weather, you can merely display it!

The bathroom — a stone and tile-clad masterpiece — had dual sinks, a large floor-to-ceiling tiled shower and a separate deep, oval tub, which is separated from the sleeping chamber by a sliding door, affording the weary traveler the opportunity to relax in a hot bath while watching TV or even gazing out upon the world through the balcony doors. One of the vanity mirrors even has a television screen embedded in it; I loved watching the news while freshening up for a trip out into the surrounding neighborhood!

Room service was efficient and delicious, the menu a well-chosen subset of the hotel's Paces 88 Restaurant which itself provides both indoor and al fresco dining. The pool area at the St. Regis is a quiet, private oasis in a busy part of the city, and provides both comfortable lounge chairs and serviced tables. Just up a flight of stairs from the pool is a well-groomed outdoor event space which boasts a large, well-landscaped lawn area replete with bocce ball equipment, a very nice touch. The hotel also features a lovely outdoor area off the main lobby-level bar, where well-heeled travelers, local cognoscenti and other shaken-not-stirred types mingle under the stars.

The true standout at the St. Regis is its staff. We were unfailingly greeted with a smile by every single person we encountered, were always made to feel as if we were highly-valued guests, and every request we made was handled quickly and graciously.

THE NOT

In over fifteen years of near-constant travel, there is never anything that's perfect. Ever. But the St. Regis Atlanta was as close to perfect as a hotel can be without resorting to nitpickery. OK, I hear you all groaning that I must be "on the take" or what have you; I am forced to share one minor quibble: The bottle of wine that greeted our arrival in the room was, unfortunately, not accompanied by a wine opener. However a simple push of a button on the "control center" summoned our white-gloved butler with one in less than ninety seconds. Who's to complain?

FOR THOUGHT

The St. Regis Atlanta. Five Stars. Rooms from $340 midweek, $270 weekend. Discounts and packages available. See the St. Regis website for more information.


*fashionado Traveler Score: 9.5 (out of 10). Nothing gets a ten.

The fashionado Traveler has traveled extensively throughout the world, including forty-seven U.S. States and four continents. He holds elite status with multiple hotel chains and is quickly approaching the two million mile mark on Delta Air Lines. He lives in the Atlanta area and hails originally from California, where he spent his younger and admittedly less stylish years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He invites your comments and encourages invitations to your favorite away-from-home places.